I can't pass up an opportunity to give my opinion on this one! I too appreciated the clear and unmistakable commercial success of Michael Jackson, but I observed that his personal life was in shambles, due to unresolved issues that sabotaged every success he enjoyed. Low self esteem was certainly a part of that, because he made terrible personal choices, with his family, his personal sexual preferences and terrible publicity surrounding the molestation allegations. People who love and respect themselves make choices that are in their own best interests and that do not damage their lives, reputations and livlihoods. Additionally, he died from unnatural causes, so that too contributes to my discernment that he did not have the tools to really take good care of himself, which is totally consistent with low self esteem.

I am sure if we could see his medical/psychological records, we would find other conditions that contributed to his demise, tied up with his discomfort with having black racial physical characteristics, his fear of the public, his excessive need to fill a mansion with objects of all kinds and descriptions, his obsession with little boys, etc.....

Too sad.

Michael Jackson I always viewed as a tortured soul... his light skin was the result of a disorder, not intentional bleaching, he suffered from vitiligo, a rare disease that discolors the face and body, his dermatologist confirmed this on an Oprah episode... I know someone with this disease.. not this extreme though..... I'm sure for a black man this alone was difficult... the choice to remain black was taken from him.. I do not think he was ashamed of his heritage and he even wrote a song that there is no difference black or white....

His artistic success was a tribute to his talent and he expressed many of his emotions through song... his cosmetic surgery started out with corrective surgery of the nose which was a needed procedure not vanity... it has been suggested that he wanted his face altered as he was resembling his father and this is not the face he wanted to view in the mirror daily ... the abuse he suffered from his father overshadowed his life and stopped him I think from emotional freedom or maturity...
many described him as having peter pan syndrome .. I feel he did not grow up emotionally and this opened up many doors to trusting the wrong people and a gullibility of sorts with what he shared publicly...

I will focus on the positives he gave to the world in his song and dance talent... and I hope that he is at rest... too short a life span and sad that he did not get to have his comeback concert.... ((hugs)) polar

Michael Jackson was a musical and dance genius, an all round performer. It is tragic that he was such a sad individual whose life took the Elvis Presley route to self destruction. The media coverage that I have seen so far has been appalling. Instead of us letting us view his large body of work we get nonstop diatribe reporting accompanied with constantly changing splices of 10 second grabs which is suited to people with an attention deficiency. The journalistic commentary given has more to do with the reporter than the expose of the artist.
I dont know about plastic surgery being for people with low self esteem as those with high self esteem indulge also ie. Cher, Oprah Winfrey, Ivana Trump. In fact if I could afford it I would cut and tuck myself.

Ouch! Oh Corall, it made me wince to hear you say you would cut and tuck yourself if you could afford it!

My opinion is that excessive weight, saggy bodies and broken postures are evidence of a lack of self-love and self-care, just like letting a beautiful car go unmaintained, is an evidence of lack of responsibiity. Exercise, good nutrition and being willing to look my age instead of scrambling, cutting and injecting myself to look 20 when I am 50, is an evidence of the care and respect I am willing to take of myself.

Just my opinion. I think Oprah, Ivana and others are great examples of people who have high self esteem in certain areas (professionally, financially, etc.) but low self esteem when it comes to their perspective of themselves as persons with female bodies. The media has brainwashed women to de-value themselves if they do not have the natural hard body of a twenty year old, while men are allowed to age anyway they choose. The double standard is reflected in your willingness to let someone cut you up to fit someone else's idea of beauty.

Grace I agree, to a point I am as brain washed as many others. A lack of love in and respect in ones life is most likely the reason for wanting that elusive look, but in reality I do know how shallow relying on the look is and a poor substitute for genuine wholesome living.

Yes, me too. I am Italian and have the genes for being round and comfortable to those who love me, but to me I just look overweight and fat! I know I need to lose weight, but I want to do it for my health, not because I am trying to meet a media image that is not even realistic for my age, height and ethnic characteristics! I know I am beautiful, regardless of the shape of my body. Thankfully, I know and see that with my head and hopefully, that information will eventually make it to my heart!

He had issues with pill addiction.

In AA meetings we hear alot about being

An Egomaniac with an Inferiority Complex

It's common in those with addictions.

Well now I feel that I might agree with "polarbare" above, as now I would say that maybe Michael Jackson only had some human humility, as it might not have been low self esteem at all.

There are many other people that apparently esteem themselves way too high.

Being humble in the midst of success, especially huge success, would be a virtue coming from a healthy self esteem.

In the end MJ died on top of the mountain.

Some people have accussed MJ but he was found not guilty in Court, and some claim he had money troubles except he was about to do 50 concerts worth a huge fortune, so in the end MJ has passed away as one great accomplished American and as an African American hero.

Long live the King - that life cut short.